Hail or wind damage? How a roof claim works in Indiana

The claim, step by step

1. Check from the ground and take dated photos: dented gutters and vents, shingle pieces in the yard, water stains inside.
2. Stop more damage. Tarp an opening or have a roofer tarp it, and keep the receipt. Policies expect you to protect the house from further harm.
3. Get an inspection. A roofer on the roof can tell hail bruises and wind creases from ordinary wear, and whether there's enough damage to be worth filing.
4. Report the claim to your insurer. Your policy sets the deadline, so look it up rather than guessing.
5. Meet the adjuster. Your insurer sends one to inspect. Your roofer can be there to show the damage they photographed.
6. Get the decision in writing. It lists what's covered, the dollar amounts and your deductible.
7. Have the work done, then collect the rest. On many policies the first check covers the roof's depreciated value, and the held-back depreciation comes after the work is finished and the insurer gets the final invoice.

Indiana rules that protect you

Indiana's home improvement law has a section written for roof work paid by insurance, and it changes how a storm job should go:

• No deductible deals. A roofer may not advertise, offer or promise to pay or rebate any part of your deductible. That includes a "discount" equal to the deductible, a gift card, a credit, or money for putting their sign in your yard.
• No adjusting by roofers. A roofer may not act as a public adjuster, and since July 2017 the contract has to say that neither the roofer nor its subcontractors will start or pursue a claim with your insurer.
• A right to cancel. You can cancel until midnight of the third business day after the later of two dates: the day you both signed, or the day your insurer gave written notice of its final decision on the claim. The contract has to include a cancellation form. If you cancel, the roofer refunds what you paid within 10 days, less the fair value of any emergency work you agreed to in writing.
• Out-of-state crews. A roofer from outside Indiana with no prior tie to you has to be based in Indiana, keep a fixed place of business here or have an Indiana registered agent before signing an insurance job.

A violation counts as a deceptive act under Indiana law, which the Attorney General or the homeowner can take to court.

What the contract should show

Indiana requires a written contract for this kind of work, given to you complete before you sign. On an insurance job it may describe the work as restoring the roof to its prior condition, count the dates from the insurer's approval, and state the price as what you owe after insurance pays. It still has to name the roofer with an address, list who handles complaints, describe the work and show both signatures.

Van Wert and other Ohio homes

Ohio law is different. Its home solicitation law lets you cancel many sales made at your home until midnight of the third business day after you sign, but Ohio has no Indiana-style right tied to the insurer's decision, and we found no Ohio law that bans deductible rebates. Ohio also treats anyone paid to negotiate a claim for you as a public adjuster who must be licensed, so the same rule applies in practice: the claim is yours to handle.

Claim questions

For a roof inspection after a storm, see storm and hail damage repair in Fort Wayne.